Price the job from cost, then convert to dollars per head. Do not start from a published per-head or per-ton number and work backwards. Two single-zone 12k installs can differ by a couple of thousand dollars once the line-set, the height, and the electrical service are in the bid.
Outdoor units and indoor heads mostly scale with count. These do not:
Line-set beyond the 15–25 ft the equipment quote already includes
A ceiling cassette or concealed ducted head versus a high-wall mount
A second- or third-story install, or a tall first-floor wall that needs a ladder
A new 240 V circuit, a relocated disconnect, or a subpanel
A condensate pump when there is no gravity path
Permit fees and travel that are a trip and a check, not a head
If you match a cheaper per-head quote that was written for a first-floor wall-mount and an existing disconnect, you are matching someone else's job, not yours.
A bid that holds together
Size the system from head count × BTU, not a rounded marketing ton.
Time indoor labor as hours per head on an easy wall, then multiply by head type and story.
Add extra line-set as its own feet, material, and hours. Those hours climb with height.
Add electrical and condensate extras as their own hours and material. They do not shrink when the job is a single zone.
Load the wage (taxes, workers' compensation, insurance, PTO). Price from loaded labor, not take-home.
Add permits and travel.
Recover overhead as a percent of direct cost, then set margin as a share of the customer's price.
Only then look at price per head — and at the walk-away price if a homeowner asks you to sharpen it.
What this is not
This is not a Manual J load calculation, a permit approval, a refrigerant-handling certification, a code inspection, or tax or rebate advice. It is arithmetic on numbers you enter. Confirm equipment, line-set path, electrical and condensate scope, and every invoice before you send a price.
Common questions
How much should I charge to install a mini split?
Charge from your own cost: outdoor unit, indoor heads, branch box, crew hours times a head-type and story factor, extra line-set feet, electrical extras, condensate, permits, overhead, and the margin you intend to keep. Convert that price to dollars per head at the end for comparison, not as the bid method.
Why is a per-head quote dangerous?
Equipment scales with heads. Extra line-set, a ceiling cassette, a second story, a condensate pump, and a new 240 V circuit do not. Those extras can erase the margin on a quote that looked fine on a first-floor wall-mount of the same capacity.
Does this include a load calculation or rebate?
No. The calculator prices the install. Manual J, permits, refrigerant handling, and utility rebates are the installer's, the AHJ's, or the program administrator's to apply. Do not treat the tool as a load, code, or net-cost determination.